MANILA, Jan. 31 -- The upcoming delivery of the Indian-made BrahMos cruise missile system would bring the Philippines' military capability to the "supersonic" missile era and greatly enhance the country's defense capabilities, a ranking security official said Wednesday.

"It is a real game changer because it brings the Philippines to the supersonic age. For the first time in our history, the Philippines will have three batteries of supersonic cruise missiles that have a speed of (Mach 2.8) or almost 3x (times) the speed of sound," NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said in a message to the Philippine News Agency, when asked how this weapon system would contribute to national security.

Malaya also called the BrahMos cruise mis...